Airline News

To hear U.S. airline executives tell it, the summer ahead could be a bonanza, as travelers cooped up at home during the pandemic take to the airways in huge numbers.…

Airlines have come a long way from the dark days of the pandemic when idled jets lined runways around the world. On the ground in Tulsa, we check out the meticulous way American is taking its last few aircraft out of mothballs with an opportunistic eye towards summer.

Aviation folks of a certain vintage will recall how OAG used to publish passenger flight schedules in book format once a month. My, how times have changed.

Spirit delivered better than expected earnings, but just barely. The company is preparing for fuller loads and a return to profits, confident in its strengths flying to leisure destinations. But a lot of carriers have expressed that same confidence.

Finally, a U.S. airline sees black ink, but only thanks to Uncle Sam. Without federal payroll support, Southwest Airlines would have matched its peers and reported a quarterly loss.

American is cautiously optimistic about the summer ahead with plans to fly more and boost fares on its way back to profitability. But when the airline can hit that is still anyone's guess with business and long-haul international travel still largely absent in the recovery.